Improvement in time and distance fuses for shells



H. BERDA'NL I Time and Distance Fuse for Shells. "No. 220,792.

Patented Oct. 21, 1879;

UNITED STAT S PATENT OFFICE.

HI'RAM BERDAN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN TIME AND DISTANCE FUSES FOR SHlELLS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 220,792, dated October 21,, 1879,- applicaclion filed August 5, 1879.

To all whom it may concern: a side view of my improved mechanism, the Be it known that I, HlRAM BERDAN, of the head of the shell being removed; and Fig. 3 is cit of New York iii the county and Stateof a plan thereof, the head bein removed.

New York, have invented certain new and Similar letters of reference designate coruseful Improvements in Shrapnel and Disresponding parts in all the figures.

tanee Fuses, of which the following is a speci- The body part a of the shell, of cast-iron, fieation.

The object of the inventionis to produce a sulphur in the ordinary way. The diaphragm fuse to burst shrapnel with perfect'regularity 0, made of bronze, is connected to such body at all desired distances within the range of part by three screws, 8, workingin slots, allowthe cannon, without reference to the diiference ing a slight movement in tiring, and is screwed of the velocity of the shell during its flight, to onto the cast-iron conical head I) of the shell. the variations of the weather, the charge of It is provided with a step for one of the ends powder, the differenceof the bm'ningqualities. of the spindle], hereinafter mentioned. The of the powder, as well as without reference to said diaphragm bears at its lower part the the'time it has been stored in magazine, as it fulminate q, with powder beneath. is well known that the ordinary time-fuse is The lubricating recess (1, formed between defective on all these points, for the reasons, the diaphragm and the body-part of the shell, first, that the system at present in use is is filled with a mixture of tallow and wax, or a time-fuse and not a distancefuse secother lubricating material, which serves a end, that the velocityoi the projectile is not double purpose. The recess d is so formed the same at any two points; third, it is bethat in firing, thebody-part of the shell being lieved to be impossible to make a mixture of forced forward, the lubricating material first fuse-powder and press it with sufficicnt uniserves as a cushion to (leaden the shock proformity to make the fuses burn with the reduced by the gases of the powder, and then quired regularity; fourth, that the fuse-powder is pressed out with great velocity against the deteriorates by storage. riding of the gun.

The great variations in the distance of the The outer side of the recess dis made inbursting ofshrapuel will be readily understood clined inward, and the end of the body of the when one considers the immense velocity of shell is correspondingly ehamfered or tapered; the projectile-about five hundred meters per hence, as the shell moves forward, it forces second; also the great difference of velocity out the lubricating material under a con at difierent distances. stantly-increasing resistance as the two in- The nature of the invention is a mechanical clined parts approach each other. fuse, so constructed as to burst the shrapnel It will be seen that this lubricating matewhen the vlatter has reached the distance to rial is entirely protected during transport and which the fuse is set without reference to the handling, and, all the material being thrown velocity of the projectile or any cause whatagainst the riding forward of the belt that is ever that could affect the burning of the ordito give the spiral motion, there is no waste, as nary fuse therefore it may be called a disin all other systems. tance-fuse, in contradistinction to the time A spindle,f, the ends of which rest in the fuse, and to so construct the shrapnel as to steps 9 g, has a weight, 0, attached firmly to produce a perfect system of lubricating the it, so that, in firing, the weight does not regun. volve with the projectile, and remains rela- This fuse is so constructed as to utilize the tively stationary in a Vertical position; rotary motion ofthe projectile operating on a The driving endless screw h revolves with wheel attached to a weight supported by a the diaphragm and projectile, and thereby rospindle in the axis of the projectile. tates the driving-wheel i, supported by the In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 weight, and having an endless screw out upon designates a longitudinal section of a portion it, which screw actuates the fifty-teeth wheel of a shell embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is .k, loose on the spindlef.

contains the powder-tube and bullets set in l follows: In firing, parted by the riding of the gun to the shell,

given number of revolutions of the projectile-as, for instance, for one thousand two hundred and fifty revolutions as assumed in the drawings. The wheel k carries with it an indeX-disk, I, graduated to any distance required, a springwasher, a, and nut m, holding it thereto with the required firmness, but enabling the disk to be set without moving the wheel. An index, z, serves to exactly determine the position of the disk. Said disk lis provided with an opening, through which a firing-bolt, o, isforced by a spiral spring, 1;, when arrived at the distance to which it has been set, thus bringing the rear end of the bolt in contact with the ful'minate q in the diaphragm c. The firin g-bolt being suspended, and the diaphragm rapidly rotating, the fulminate is ignited. The firing-bolt is guided in its motion bya fixed pin, it, engaged in a' groove.

The above-described distance-fuse works as a rotating motion is imas also to the diaphragm c and driving-screw h. The weight 0, on the contrary, in consequence of its inertia and of the small friction of its spindle in the steps, remains stationary with thedrivih'g-wheel t. The endless screw out upon the latter actuates the tooth-wheel k and the index-disk I, attached thereto, and which, having been set to the required distance,brings.at the proper time its opening op posite the rear end of the firing-bolt, which is forced downward through said opening, and

explodes the t'nlminate, and consequently fires the powder in the tube.

Many modifications and combinations may be. made of this fuse without departing in the least from the nature of the invention, such as a combination of a percussion-fuse with the distance fuse, to assist in determining the range, or of placing the ends of the spindle in steps formed in plungers' held up to their rethe recess, substantially speetive'positions by springs for special calibers, &c.; but p 1 What I ,laiin as my invention, and desire to secure by these Letters Patent, is as follows:

1. The combination, in a shot or shell, of a' pendulous weight hanging loosely upon a centrally-arran ged spindle within the same, a firing-bolt secured to said weight and having a longitudinal movement, a spring for actuatin g fsaid firing-bolt, a stop for holding said bolt against the resistance of the compressed spring, and mechanism actuatedby the rotation of the'shot or shell for releasingsaid firing-bolt, substantially as specified. i

2. .The combination, in a shot or shell, of a pendulous weight hanging loosely upon a cent-rallyarranged spindle within the shot or shell, a firing-bolt secured to said weight and actuated by a spring, a dial for holding said firing-bolt against the compressed spring, and provided with an opening through which said bolt may pass," and mechanism for rotating said .dial actuated by the rotary movement of said shot or shell, substantially as specified. 3. The combination, in a shot or shell, of the weight 6, hangingupon the spin-dl e;f, the

firing-bolt 0,-and spring 12, for actuating the same, the dial 1, provided with an opening through which said bolt may pass, the endless driving-screw h, and the wheels-t k, for imparting motion from said endless driving-screwto said dial, substantially as specified.

4. The combination, in a shot'or shell, of thehead b, having upon its under side the annular recess (1, the outer wall of which is tapered inward, and the body a, havinga longitudinal movement relatively to said head,

and having its end slightly ehamfered or ta- I pered correspondingly to the, inclined side of as and for the purpose specified.

' H. BERDAN.

Witnesses:

F.1\IAITLAND RANSOME, W. PAINE. 

